100 YA Novels: Divergent
Book 3
After reading The Hunger Games, I binged a bit on dystopian YA novels. vnfan kept raving about Divergent, Veronica Roth's debut novel, so I bought it last summer. I read the bulk of it, oddly enough, flying out of Chicago, and I was hooked on every word. It's such an intriguing story.
Divergent is set in futuristic dystopian Chicago. Five factions make up this society and each faction is defined by the quality they believe is most important for citizens of their society to have: Abnegation, selflessness; Amity, peace; Candor, honesty; Dauntless, bravery; and Erudite, knowledge. Each group uses its strengths for the benefit of society.
Sixteen year old Beatrice, born into Abnegation, is finally old enough to decide which faction she will join. She is torn between wanting to stay with her family and feeling that she's too selfish to remain among the Abnegation. Before her "Choosing" ceremony, she undergoes a simulation meant to gauge her aptitude for the five factions. Beatrice learns that she would be a good fit for Abnegation, but she has an equal aptitude for Dauntless and Erudite. This is a rare occurrence. Beatrice is something very dangerous;she is Divergent. Ultimately, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. She takes the name "Tris" and enters the rigorous training competition for one of ten spots in Dauntless.
I think this story is amazing on so many levels. There are a lot of parallels to the world we live in. As Tris goes through training, it's clear that the original goals of the factions have twisted as their beliefs became more extreme. The bravery that the Dauntless seek has made them reckless and cruel, the Erudite thirst for knowledge has made them arrogant and cold and so on. Their factions were meant to create a more perfect society, but instead putting their factions first has created seemingly insurmountable barriers between them.
This is also a coming of age story. Tris wants to prove that she's more than a "stiff" from Abnegation. She worries about her parents, but she also wants to be a little selfish for once. In Dauntless, Tris learns a lot about herself and the person she wants to be.
And then there's mysterious Four, Tris's instructor (and crush). Another swoonworthy YA guy. He's brave, strong and kind-- when you get past how truly deadly he is.
Divergent is the first in the trilogy. The second book, Insurgent, was just released on May 1st, and it is every bit as amazing as the first. My mind is still buzzing. Give it a shot! Especially if you like dystopian fiction!
After reading The Hunger Games, I binged a bit on dystopian YA novels. vnfan kept raving about Divergent, Veronica Roth's debut novel, so I bought it last summer. I read the bulk of it, oddly enough, flying out of Chicago, and I was hooked on every word. It's such an intriguing story.
Divergent is set in futuristic dystopian Chicago. Five factions make up this society and each faction is defined by the quality they believe is most important for citizens of their society to have: Abnegation, selflessness; Amity, peace; Candor, honesty; Dauntless, bravery; and Erudite, knowledge. Each group uses its strengths for the benefit of society.
Sixteen year old Beatrice, born into Abnegation, is finally old enough to decide which faction she will join. She is torn between wanting to stay with her family and feeling that she's too selfish to remain among the Abnegation. Before her "Choosing" ceremony, she undergoes a simulation meant to gauge her aptitude for the five factions. Beatrice learns that she would be a good fit for Abnegation, but she has an equal aptitude for Dauntless and Erudite. This is a rare occurrence. Beatrice is something very dangerous;she is Divergent. Ultimately, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. She takes the name "Tris" and enters the rigorous training competition for one of ten spots in Dauntless.
I think this story is amazing on so many levels. There are a lot of parallels to the world we live in. As Tris goes through training, it's clear that the original goals of the factions have twisted as their beliefs became more extreme. The bravery that the Dauntless seek has made them reckless and cruel, the Erudite thirst for knowledge has made them arrogant and cold and so on. Their factions were meant to create a more perfect society, but instead putting their factions first has created seemingly insurmountable barriers between them.
This is also a coming of age story. Tris wants to prove that she's more than a "stiff" from Abnegation. She worries about her parents, but she also wants to be a little selfish for once. In Dauntless, Tris learns a lot about herself and the person she wants to be.
And then there's mysterious Four, Tris's instructor (and crush). Another swoonworthy YA guy. He's brave, strong and kind-- when you get past how truly deadly he is.
Divergent is the first in the trilogy. The second book, Insurgent, was just released on May 1st, and it is every bit as amazing as the first. My mind is still buzzing. Give it a shot! Especially if you like dystopian fiction!